Can you eat a lot and still lose weight?
By
Dr Daniel Vazquez Maldonado (PhD)
| Reviewed by
Dr Anny Manrich (PhD)
The contents of this article are fact-based except otherwise stated within the article.
Author bio
Dr Daniel Vazquez Maldonado, PhD(c), is a nutritionist with a postgraduate degree in pharmaco-biological sciences, with expertise in gut microbiota, probiotics, prebiotics, and molecular and human nutrition.
Dr Daniel Vazquez Maldonado Highlights:
- He has taken different courses at the National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Mexico, which has allowed him to strengthen his knowledge in research and genomic sciences.
- PhD(c) in pharmaco-biological sciences, working on developing a functional food with probiotics/prebiotics, and evaluating its anti-inflammatory effect at Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi.
- Master’s degree in pharmaco-biological sciences, focused on obtaining prebiotics from regional plants such as agave and studying its effect on body composition and gut microbiota at Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi.
- Bachelor´s degree in Nutrition, graduated by thesis, focused on developing fortified foods with amaranth and evaluating its physicochemical and nutritional properties, at Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi.
“Don’t be scared when you hear that we are surrounded by bacteria or microorganisms and that they even live in our bodies, science has shown that there are more good ones than bad ones, probably just like people around the world. -Dr. Daniel Vazquez Maldonado
Professional experience
Along with his postgraduate studies, Dr. Daniel Vazquez Maldonado has taken several courses on Nutritional Care Process, and worked as a nutritionist in private practice, since the completion of his undergraduate studies, to date.
As a result of his research work and actual trajectory, Dr Daniel Vazquez Maldonado is part of the State System of Researchers of San Luis Potosi and has participated as a reviewer in online courses for scientific presentations and evaluating projects in national science events.
He has also worked as a professor at two universities, contributing to the learning of future nutritionists and chemists, by giving courses related to his academic background in research, nutrition, and probiotics.
Dr Daniel Vazquez Maldonado has also participated as an evaluator of the course “Drug-Nutrient Interaction” for the bachelor’s degree in nutrition at the Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi.
Dr. Daniel Vazquez Maldonado has presented his research on probiotics and prebiotics, at national and international congresses.
Education:
-2015 Bachelor in Nutrition at Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi.
-2018 Master´s degree in Pharmacobiological Sciences at Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi.
-2023 PhD candidate in Pharmacobilogical Sciences at Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi
The main publications of Dr Daniel Vazquez Maldonado are:
López Padilla C, Vázquez-Maldonado D, Gallegos Martínez J, Algara-Suárez P, Ornelaz-Paz J de J, Reyes Hernández J. Evaluation of thermogravimetric, textural and viscoelastic properties in ternary system of amaranth, wheat and whole wheat. Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization. 2022 Jun 1;16(3):2144–53.
Martinez-Martinez MU, Vázquez-Maldonado D, Ratering S, Godínez-Hernández C, Ortiz-Basurto RI, Soria-Guerra RE, et al. Fructans from Agave enhance probiotic yoghurt by modulating gut microbiota on children with overweight or obesity. Food Biosci. 2022 Apr 1;46:101516.
Vázquez-Maldonado D, Espinosa-Solis V, Leyva-Porras C, Aguirre-Bañuelos P, Martinez-Gutierrez F, Román-Aguirre M, et al. Preparation of spray-dried functional food: Effect of adding Bacillus clausii bacteria as a co-microencapsulating agent on the conservation of resveratrol. Processes. 2020 Jul 1;8(7):849.
Conference Papers:
M.Sc. Daniel Vázquez-Maldonado , M.C. Macrina Beatriz Silva-Cázares , PhD. Isaac Compéan-Martínez , PhD.José Pérez-Urizar , PhD. María Z. Saavedra-Leos . Characterization of a spray dried microencapsulated powder containing bacillus clausii and resveratrol as co-encapsulating agents. In: International Research Congress, Academia Journals Hidalgo 2020
Vázquez-Maldonado D ,Soria-Guerra R ,González-Acevedo O ,Vega-Cárdenas M ,- Godínez-Hernández C ,Ratering-. S ,Schnell-. S ,Schneider-. B ,Juárez-Flores B ,Portales-Pérez D ,Martínez-Gutiérrez F, Synbiotics with activity on gut microbiota affect indicators of cardiometabolic risk in schoolchildren. In: National Congress of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology XLIII, (2018). (Mérida, Yucatán).
You can view some of Dr Daniels’s work below and links to his professional profiles:
Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Daniel-Vazquez-32
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-v%C3%A1zquez-16b92a204/
WebofScience: https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/GYD-9090-2022
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4302-9116
Reviewer bio
Dr Anny Manrich PhD is a food Engineer with expertise in Food Technology, Natural Polymers, Edible Films, Enzymes, and Nanotechnology. She writes and reviews content on these topics.
Dr Anny Manrich’s Highlights:
- Research and Technology at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation
- PhD in Chemical Engineering with a focus on Biochemistry at the Federal University of Sao Carlos/ Brazil and a one-year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich/ Germany
- Bachelor of Food Engineering at the University of Campinas/ Brazil and a one-year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich/ Germany
“To solve a problem, global vision and multifactorial understanding are necessary. Therefore, in addition to expertise, one should seek multidisciplinary thinking connected with science and reality” – Dr Anny Manrich, PhD.
Professional Experience:
Dr Anny Manrich’s Experience Joining the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, as soon as she completed her doctorate,
Dr Anny Manrich has worked on several projects, including the more than three-year partnership project with BRF, a major food producer in Brazil. As a postdoctoral fellow.
Dr Anny Manrich has also contributed to several business consultancies and research projects of the National Nanotechnology Laboratory System in areas such as food technology, fibres, films and coatings and Nanotechnology; in a very determined way, having a great team relationship, being creative and committed.
Growing concerns about the safe introduction of nanomaterials into today’s life emphasises the need to create regulatory documentation in front of characterising, using and testing them. Dr Anny Manrich worked for two years on a characterization project for nanoscale materials, with the aim of exploring their possible health effects.
Despite not having specific academic training in packaging or polymeric films, Dr Anny Manrich works at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation in areas of edible and biodegradable films produced from agricultural waste and in the development of films with greater resistance to water, having articles published in renowned scientific journals, which demonstrates her multidisciplinary understanding and creativity.
In addition, she worked for four years as a consultant to a food company to develop a line of snacks that are healthy and that add functional ingredients, physiologically active compounds that bring health benefits, made from fruits and vegetables, enabling diet improvement, disease prevention and reduction of nutritional deficiencies.
Dr Anny Manrich participated as a member of the examination board for two Master’s exams and one PhD exam at the Department of Chemical Engineering of the Federal University of São Carlos.
Education:
- 2001 Bachelor in Food Engineering at the State University of Campinas, Brazil
- 1999 One year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich
- 2004 Master in Chemical Engineering at the Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil
- 2012 PhD in Chemical Engineering at the Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil
- 2010 One year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich
The main publications of Dr. Anny Manrich are:
Articles
Manrich, A., Moreira, F. K., Otoni, C. G., Lorevice, M. V., Martins, M. A., & Mattoso, L. H. (2017). Hydrophobic edible films made up of tomato cutin and pectin. Carbohydrate Polymers, 164, 83-91.
Mendes, J. F., Norcino, L. B., Martins, H. H. A., Manrich, A., Otoni, C. G., Carvalho, E. E. N., … & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2020). Correlating emulsion characteristics with the properties of active starch films loaded with lemongrass essential oil. Food Hydrocolloids, 100, 105428.
Norcino, L. B., Mendes, J. F., Natarelli, C. V. L., Manrich, A., Oliveira, J. E., & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2020). Pectin films loaded with copaiba oil nanoemulsions for potential use as bio-based active packaging. Food Hydrocolloids, 106, 105862.
Manrich, Anny, et al. Immobilization of trypsin on chitosan gels: Use of different activation protocols and comparison with other supports. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 43.1 (2008): 54-61.
Manrich, Anny; Komesu, Andrea ; Adriano, Wellington Sabino; Tardioli, Paulo Waldir ; Giordano, Raquel Lima Camargo . Immobilization and Stabilization of Xylanase by Multipoint Covalent Attachment on Agarose and on Chitosan Supports. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, v. 161, p. 455-467, 2010.
Mendes, J. F., Martins, J. T., Manrich, A., Neto, A. S., Pinheiro, A. C. M., Mattoso, L. H. C., & Martins, M. A. (2019). Development and physical-chemical properties of pectin film reinforced with spent coffee grounds by continuous casting. Carbohydrate polymers, 210, 92-99..
Milessi, T. S., Kopp, W., Rojas, M. J., Manrich, A., Baptista-Neto, A., Tardioli, P. W., … & Giordano, R. L. (2016). Immobilization and stabilization of an endoxylanase from Bacillus subtilis (XynA) for xylooligosaccharides (XOs) production. Catalysis Today, 259, 130-139.
Mendes, J. F., Norcino, L. B., Manrich, A., Pinheiro, A. C. M., Oliveira, J. E., & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2020). Development, physical‐chemical properties, and photodegradation of pectin film reinforced with malt bagasse fibers by continuous casting. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 137(39), 49178.
Mendes, J. F., Martins, J. T., Manrich, A., Luchesi, B. R., Dantas, A. P. S., Vanderlei, R. M., … & Martins, M. A. (2021). Thermo-physical and mechanical characteristics of composites based on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) e spent coffee grounds (SCG). Journal of Polymers and the Environment, 29, 2888-2900..
Mendes, J. F., Norcino, L. B., Martins, H. H., Manrich, A., Otoni, C. G., Carvalho, E. E. N., … & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2021). Development of quaternary nanocomposites made up of cassava starch, cocoa butter, lemongrass essential oil nanoemulsion, and brewery spent grain fibers. Journal of Food Science, 86(5), 1979-1996.
Manrich, A., Martins, M. A., & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2021). Manufacture and performance of peanut skin cellulose nanocrystals. Scientia Agricola, 79.
Nascimento, V. M., Manrich, A., Tardioli, P. W., de Campos Giordano, R., de Moraes Rocha, G. J., & Giordano, R. D. L. C. (2016). Alkaline pretreatment for practicable production of ethanol and xylooligosaccharides. Bioethanol, 2(1)..
Manrich, Anny, de Oliveira, J. E., Martins, M. A., & Mattoso, L. H. C. Physicochemical and Thermal Characterization of the Spirulina platensis. J. Agric. Sci. Technol. B, v. 10, p. 298-307, 2020.
Book Chapter
Terra, I. A. A., Aoki, P. H., Delezuk, J. A. D. M., Martins, M. A., Manrich, A., Silva, M. J., … & Miranda, P. B. (2022). Técnicas de Caracterização de Polímeros. Nanotecnologia Aplicada a Polímeros, 614.
Conference Papers
Ferreira, L. F., Luvizaro, L. B., Manrich, A., Martins, M. A., Júnior, M. G., & Dias, M. V. (2017). Comparação da estabilidade de suspensões poliméricas de amido/tocoferol e quitosana/tocoferol. In: CONGRESSO BRASILEIRO DE POLÍMEROS, 14., 2017, Águas de Lindóia, SP.
Manrich, A., Hubinger, S. Z., & Paris, E. C. (2017). Citotoxicidade causada por nanomateriais: avaliação do micronúcleo. In: WORKSHOP DA REDE DE NANOTECNOLOGIA APLICADA AO AGRONEGÓCIO, 9., 2017, São Carlos. Anais… São Carlos: Embrapa Instrumentação, 2017. p. 655-658.
Manrich, Anny, et al. Immobilization and Stabilization of Xylanase by multipoint covalent attachment on Glyoxyl Agarose Support. The 31st Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals. 2009.
Manrich, Anny, et al. Application of immobilized xylanase on hydrolysis of soluble wood hemicelluloses after using microwave and organosolv pre-treatments. The 32nd Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals. 2010.
You can view some of Dr Anny’s work below and links to her professional profile.
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anny-Manrich-2
Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=23103497100
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=Ea9qpr0AAAAJ
Linkedin: https://br.linkedin.com/in/anny-manrich-20693129
In this brief guide, we will answer the question, can you eat a lot and still lose weight? We will discuss how eating adequately can help you stay healthy and lose weight.
FCan you eat a lot and still lose weight?
Sure, you can eat a lot and still lose weight, but it all depends on the type of foods that you want to eat (1), or even how hungry you feel (2).
If you want to lose weight, Instead of keeping processed sugars, trans and saturated fats, at hand, resort to fresh fruits and vegetables (1). No matter where you live, eating fresh fruits and vegetables is important (3).
With the consumption of fruits and vegetables, you are getting fiber, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds that are necessary for your body to stay healthy, with less calorie intake(4).
While consuming processed sugars, and trans and saturated fats, which are present in most processed foods, you get high amounts of calories in a minimal amount of food, and health issues like dyslipidemia and hypertension, among others, may appear(5).
Is consuming fruits and vegetables important for losing weight?Yes, consuming fruits and vegetables is important to lose weight, but not because of the effect of consuming them, the association is because fruits and vegetables are part of a healthy diet (4).
Fruits and vegetables have water, fiber, minerals, and vitamins. They are crucial components for your body to work in the right way(4), but you must know that there are nutritional differences between both, despite being healthy (6).
The main difference and concern if you are looking to lose weight, following the fruit and vegetable recommendations, is that when you consume vegetables the caloric intake is low, even though the same occurs with fruits, fruits had almost 250% more calories than vegetables (7), so, go on with the vegetables and be careful of eating too many fruits.
The consumption of fiber, which is part of fruits and vegetables, gives a person a feeling of fullness, which prevents recurring hunger and cravings (8), so they will stop you from reaching out to unhealthy foods to fill you up.
Another important component of vegetables and fruits is water, which represents up to 80% of the fruits and vegetables’ composition, making them a great source of water, which is necessary for your metabolism (9)
What types of food can you eat a lot and still lose weight?
The type of food that you can eat a lot and still lose weight would be based on the caloric density of it, which means making the right choices of the food you eat, it’s not about quantity it’s about quality (5).
You can divide the food according to its caloric density, from low density to high density, medium, and high density. The higher the density of calories in a food choice, the less you need to eat (10).
-Low-density foods include fresh fruits and vegetables, of which you can and must eat five to nine servings daily, but remember mostly vegetables.
-Medium-density foods include starchy vegetables like corn and potatoes and lean proteins like fish and legumes.
-High-calorie foods include fats, sugars, junk foods, fried foods, chocolates, and cheeses that melt, these types of food include a lot of calories in less weight.
So, if you want to eat a lot of food and still lose weight, include a lot of low-density foods, mostly vegetables in your food every day, reduce moderate-caloric foods, and consume high-caloric ones to the minimum.
But remember that a healthy diet doesn’t mean only vegetables, it requires that your meals also include, cereals, legumes, protein (if not animal protein, mixing cereals and legumes would be enough), and healthy oils, like the ones present in nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocado, among others(3).
.
Must my calorie intake equal my calorie expenditure, to lose weight?
Your calorie intake must equal your calorie expenditure to lose weight, that’s true, but be careful about counting every calorie you consume, it might be an unpleasant path to weight loss (11).
If your calorie intake is above your calorie requirements, then your body would take that extra energy and store it as fat, so reducing the calorie intake or increasing your calorie expenditure shall be necessary (12).
To get an extra kg in your weight, an excess intake of 7,700 kcal had to be consumed (12), that´s like drinking 850 ml of cooking oil, so to lose one kg of your weight, you must have an accumulated deficit of the same amount of calories required to earn that extra kg.
Doing exercise to increase your energy expenditure or reducing your calorie intake are good decisions to lose weight, however, a recommendation would be(13), to do both at the same time and don’t try to cut off all kcal or burn all doing exercise in one day.
What is the right way to lose weight?
There´s no single answer to the right way to lose weight, the weight of a person is determined by many factors(14), of course following the recommendations of a healthy diet can be a good start (3).
A healthy diet and lifestyle consist in eating a variety of foods, eating whole grains, eating less fried foods, and also eating fruits and more vegetables, avoiding sweetened beverages, and staying active (5).
Be careful with online diets, if you are looking for something more specific than general recommendations , it must be designed by a nutritionist, who will assess you to establish an appropriate dietary intervention for your requirements.
Is exercise necessary for losing weight?
Exercise, besides being important for losing weight, is necessary to stay healthy. You may lose weight only by cutting calories and having meals with higher proportions of low-density foods, but exercise is also a booster for your health(15).
When you exercise you increase your energetic expenditure, improve your immune system, and lipid and glucose levels (16), so remember if you are looking to lose weight it’s not about just less kg in the balance it’s also about decreasing weight healthily.
Conclusion
In this brief guide, we answered the question, can you eat a lot and still lose weight? We discussed how eating adequately can help you stay healthy and lose weight.
Citations
1. Paixão C, Dias CM, Jorge R, Carraça E V., Yannakoulia M, de Zwaan M, et al. Successful weight loss maintenance: A systematic review of weight control registries. Obesity Reviews [Internet]. 2020 May 1 [cited 2023 May 11];21(5):e13003.
2. Kaur K, Jensen CD. Does hedonic hunger predict eating behavior and body mass in adolescents with overweight or obesity? https://doi.org/101080/0273961520211983435 [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2023 May 11];51(2):184–98.
3. Herforth A, Arimond M, Álvarez-Sánchez C, Coates J, Christianson K, Muehlhoff E. A Global Review of Food-Based Dietary Guidelines. Advances in Nutrition [Internet]. 2019 Jul 1 [cited 2023 May 11];10(4):590–605. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/advances/article/10/4/590/5482317
4. Angelino D, Godos J, Ghelfi F, Tieri M, Titta L, Lafranconi A, et al. Fruit and vegetable consumption and health outcomes: an umbrella review of observational studies. https://doi.org/101080/0963748620191571021 [Internet]. 2019 Aug 18 [cited 2023 May 11];70(6):652–67.
5. Pennington JAT, Fisher RA. Classification of fruits and vegetables. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 2009 Dec 1;22(SUPPL.):S23–31.
6. Hernández-García F, Carbonell-Barrachina ÁA. Quinces [Internet]. Nutritional Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Fruits and Vegetables. Elsevier; 2020 [cited 2023 May 11]. 631–643 p.
7. Munekata PES, Pérez-Álvarez JÁ, Pateiro M, Viuda-Matos M, Fernández-López J, Lorenzo JM. Satiety from healthier and functional foods. Trends Food Sci Technol. 2021 Jul 1;113:397–410.
8. Clemente-Suárez VJ, Mielgo-Ayuso J, Martín-Rodríguez A, Ramos-Campo DJ, Redondo-Flórez L, Tornero-Aguilera JF. The Burden of Carbohydrates in Health and Disease. Nutrients 2022, Vol 14, Page 3809 [Internet]. 2022 Sep 15 [cited 2023 May 11];14(18):3809
9. Benelam B, Wyness L. Hydration and health: a review. Nutr Bull [Internet]. 2010 Mar 1 [cited 2023 May 13];35(1):3–25. Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1467-3010.2009.01795.x
10. Bray GA. Etiology and Prevalence of Obesity. The Genetics of Obesity [Internet]. 2020 Aug 11 [cited 2023 May 11];17–33.
11. Solbrig L, Jones R, Kavanagh D, May J, Parkin T, Andrade J. People trying to lose weight dislike calorie counting apps and want motivational support to help them achieve their goals. Internet Interv. 2017 Mar 1;7:23–31.
12. Thomas DM, Gonzalez MC, Pereira AZ, Redman LM, Heymsfield SB. Time to Correctly Predict the Amount of Weight Loss with Dieting. J Acad Nutr Diet [Internet]. 2014 [cited 2023 May 13];114(6):857. Available from: /pmc/articles/PMC4035446/
13. Most J, Redman LM. Impact of calorie restriction on energy metabolism in humans. Exp Gerontol. 2020 May 1;133:110875.
14. Cummings JH, Edmond LM, Magee EA. Dietary carbohydrates and health: do we still need the fiber concept? Clinical Nutrition Supplements. 2004 Jan 1;1(2):5–17.
15. Ledikwe JH, Blanck HM, Khan LK, Serdula MK, Seymour JD, Tohill BC, et al. Dietary energy density is associated with energy intake and weight status in US adults. Am J Clin Nutr [Internet]. 2006 Jun 1 [cited 2023 May 14];83(6):1362–8
16. Pinckard K, Baskin KK, Stanford KI. Effects of Exercise to Improve Cardiovascular Health. Front Cardiovasc Med [Internet]. 2019 Jun 4 [cited 2023 May 14];6:69.
